Mark Cofta | In memoriam (1960-2022)

Mark Cofta | In memoriam (1960-2022)

We report with sadness the death of longtime theater critic and former ATCA member Mark Cofta on July 8, 2022.

Mark covered live performance in the greater Philadelphia area for nearly 30 years, prior to his retirement in 2019. He served as Philadelphia City Paper’s critic from 2006 to 2015, where he worked alongside ATCA member David Fox, and wrote for Broad Street Review until his retirement, where he shared critical duties with ATCA vice chair Cameron Kelsall. His other outlets included American Theatre Magazine, Backstage, The Main Line Times, News of Delaware County, and Phindie.

In addition to his critical work, Mark was an accomplished playwright and held an MFA from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

Mark was active in ATCA until his retirement, often attending and participating in conferences, including ATCA’s national conference in Philadelphia in 2016.

We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Kate, who survives him.

– Submitted by Cameron Kelsall